The City posted the following on their Outdoor Dining Program page today:

In 2023, due to reasons including the North End’s high density of restaurants and foot traffic, narrow streets and sidewalks, resident parking scarcity, and other related considerations, the City issued permits in the neighborhood for compliant sidewalk patios, but did not issue permits for on-street outdoor dining. In 2024, the City intends to continue those policies in the North End and may craft additional neighborhood-specific guidelines as the program advances.

Diti Kholi covered the ongoing fight over curbside dining in the North End for the Boston Globe. I was interviewed for the story because an article I wrote was referenced in the latest lawsuit from restaurant owners.

The venerable Connah Store has shut. Frank DePasquale's ice cream and coffee shop, Dolce, is expanding into the space from next door. Sources tell us that the Connah Store's lease was not renewed after the property owner sought to hike the rent by nearly 250%.

The Neighborhood Council held its December meeting Monday night. The short agenda contained two voting items, both of which were unanimously supported by the Council.

New signage in Copp's Hill Burying Ground was installed recently. The replacement signs seem pretty much identical in content and layout, but are pristine. The old ones had rotted and were virtually unreadable.

The November Neighborhood Council meeting was mainly about one topic: Trash (below), but representatives from the N. Washington St Bridge project and the North End Library also gave very welcome updates.

Following impassioned discussions about trash in the North End at the last two meetings, the Neighborhood Council will host Dennis Roache, Boston Superintendent for Waste Reduction at the November meeting Monday November 13th 7pm at the Nazzaro Center. All residents are encouraged to attend - to listen and have their voices heard.

Note: Precinct 3 results were not publicly available.

The three reporting precincts in the North End voted in-line with the rest of the city for their top four choices for At-Large City Councilor with the exception of Precinct 1 which voted for Bridget Nee-Walsh over Henry Santana and Julia Mejia.

Inspired by the @north_end_stuck_trucks Instagram account, Shearer - and the anonymous owner of the account - travelled down some of the North End's narrowest streets and tightest corners.

Hopeful owners of a new restaurant in the short-lived Shasa, erstwhile Rigoletto space at 115 Salem Street presented their plans to the Neighborhood Council last night.

Of note: